My turn: Recipes open to interpretation

Mix one package of albacore tuna in water with mayonnaise, garlic pepper, sweet basil and paprika, to taste.

Slice two bagels in half from side to side. Cover each bagel half with 1/4- to 1/2-inch slices of high-quality, sharp or extra sharp cheddar cheese.

Put the bagel halves on a cookie sheet, on tin foil for easy cleanup. Broil them until the cheese melts.

Spead the tuna mixture on the bagels and eat up.

Ray recommends pretzel sticks, gerkins or bread-and-butter pickles on the side with a homemade cookie for dessert and water or hot tea to wash it down. He also suggested trying:

• chicken or leftover turkey instead of tuna

• different cheeses

• English muffins or homemade bread instead of bagels

• different seasonings

“Joy in cooking is ease and variety in ingredients, for me, not to mention minimal dishes to wash up afterward,” he said.

My parents and I tried the recipe with English muffins (because they’re lower in calories), and light mayonnaise, mild cheddar and chunk light tuna (because that’s what Mom and Dad had around the kitchen). Hey, adjust away.